For many, while unpleasant, this isn’t a particularly dangerous situation. But for people with hemophilia or diabetes, healing a wound becomes a lot more complicated.

Most of us reach for a bandage when we have a cut—essentially the same adhesive strip we’ve used for the past 100 years. But recently, the humble bandage has been getting a high-tech upgrade. Developers are adding tiny sensors to create smart bandages that can do much more than just cover a wound. These sensors can monitor healing progress and even allow doctors to remotely administer treatment. As ABC News reports, medical journalist Elizabeth Cohen said on the Wall Street Journal’s ‘Future of Everything’ podcast: “The doctor can give a little zap of electricity that can help promote healing. The doctor can open a tiny little valve in the bandage to release some kind of an ointment or cream.”

These are exciting times for the medical industry.

The internet has transformed how we live and work—and now it’s advancing medical devices, giving rise to the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). This refers to devices and applications that connect to healthcare IT systems via online networks. Devices equipped with Wi-Fi can now communicate with each other, enabling real-time monitoring and response.

One of the fastest-growing categories in this space is wearable technology. These gadgets aren’t just stylish—they can positively impact millions of people. In fact, according to Statista, global smartwatch sales reached about $50 billion in 2024, with 234 million users worldwide.

Smartwatches and health apps help people track vital signs like heart rate, sleep cycles, steps, and blood oxygen levels. This has evolved into next-level remote patient monitoring, enabling doctors to make more informed treatment decisions.

A Nature review on wearable technology for heart failure management highlights its potential. Heart failure affects 63 million people globally, placing a heavy burden on healthcare systems due to frequent outpatient visits and hospitalizations. Many of these could be prevented by monitoring biosignals that alert doctors before issues become critical. Devices like smartwatches, Fitbits, and other medical-grade wearables make this kind of continuous, individualized care possible.

New advancements even draw inspiration from nature. Research published in Science looked at starfish-inspired wearable bioelectronics for monitoring physiological signals during movement and real-time heart disease diagnosis. These soft bio-electronics use a five-arm structure to improve signal accuracy while a person moves. According to the authors, “The collected data are wirelessly transmitted via Bluetooth and in situ processed with machine learning (ML) algorithms deployed on smartphones for real-time heart health evaluation.” This bioinspired approach sets the stage for the next generation of wearable technology.

Even traditional tools are evolving. At Boston University, researchers are modernizing the blood pressure cuff. Their new method uses light to measure blood pressure, eliminating the need for the uncomfortable cuff. As biomedical engineering professor Darren Roblyer told The Brink, “This technology measures the optical effects of what happens when your heart beats.”

For people living with diabetes, technology has made insulin management easier and safer through continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels. New “fourth-generation” glucose sensors reduce the number of steps required for readings, increasing diagnostic accuracy.

3D printing is also making waves in healthcare. Take prosthetics: once a time-consuming, expensive process, they can now be custom printed for a better fit in just a day. A 3D-printed prosthetic arm costs around $395, compared to more than $2,000 for a traditional one that takes up to six weeks to produce.

ActivArmor, a U.S. company, is redefining durable, waterproof casts. Using light scanning and 3D imaging, they design custom plastic supports tailored to the contours of a limb and injury, including complicated injuries that include scars and burn and the treatment thereof.

This also helps clinics reduce inventory—rather than stocking a wide variety of splints, supports and braces, they just need a 3D printer.

We can’t talk about innovation without mentioning AI. In healthcare, assistive and autonomous AI are helping detect disease earlier and personalize treatment. As Forbes notes, “Assistive AI can be particularly useful for certain actions, such as evaluating large datasets, taking measurements, or analyzing medical images. In essence, assistive AI can act like a second set of eyes for the clinician, providing support to offload certain tasks and mental drain or super-powering back-office functions.”

So, where is all this heading? As medical devices get smarter and procedures become more refined, new options are constantly emerging. With an aging population and many healthcare systems stretched thin, technology has a major role to play in the future of care. Digital tools can improve access to care, support remote medicine, and enable more personalized, preventative treatment. Most importantly, self-care will increasingly be in the hands—and on the bodies—of everyday people.

The post Smarter Care, Closer to Home<p class="company">Wearables, AI, and 3D Printing in Medicine</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Embracing DEI principles and infusing them throughout the various layers of an organization has proven to have countless advantages for both a company and its employees. This is especially true of STEM careers, which face a rapid rate of change that requires an innovative workforce and efficient processes.

Where a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion exists, creativity and innovation thrive, as do efficiency and profitability thanks to improved collaboration and insight-driven decision making, key for profitability.

According to Deloitte, organizations with diverse and inclusive cultures and practices are six times more likely to be innovative and agile, eight times more likely to achieve better business outcomes, and two times more likely to exceed financial targets versus less diverse competitors, which means there is a strong return on investment (ROI) where DEI is concerned.

Unequal access to opportunity
While it may not be the worst in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, STEM industries can do more to promote DEI. While there are sectors that have reached employment parity between men and women, there is still a large gap in the diversity of the composition of many STEM sectors, manufacturing especially.

Since the 1990s, STEM employment has grown by nearly 80 percent, with computer-specific jobs growing 338 percent, but access to many of these well-paying, secure jobs is unequal, especially where women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, and people with disabilities are concerned, and particularly in upper-level management positions.

Data from Pew Research shows that while women make up almost half of all STEM jobs in the U.S., when healthcare is taken out of the mix, those figures drop significantly. The same can be said of Black and Hispanic workers, who have greater representation in support roles rather than higher level positions. While Black workers constitute 11 percent of the overall workforce in the U.S., they represent only nine percent of STEM employment, with Hispanic workers representing 18 percent of the overall workforce and 15 percent of STEM workers. The lowest share of women can be found in mechanical and electrical engineering fields, while there are larger shares in fields like industrial and environmental engineering and architecture, while Black and Hispanic workers are more likely to be in the physical sciences.

Understanding that STEM careers are outpacing general employment growth, which is being driven by the proliferation of technology, they are some of the best fields for wealth building, but a lack of diversity means that there is unequal access to the benefits therein.

Manufacturing inequality
One of the STEM industries where women, BIPOC individuals, and people with disabilities are underrepresented is manufacturing, which is a legacy industry that historically has been male dominated. According to data from the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, despite efforts over the last several decades, there are fewer women employed than there were two decades ago. This is also true of BIPOC.

The industry is at a crossroads as demand for skilled talent is outpacing supply and attraction and retention are bigger challenges than ever before. Paired with an aging workforce, attrition is rapidly erasing institutional memory and experience, which are key to many operations’ success. In addition to targeted outreach to students to ignite an interest in a STEM career, manufacturers could be tapping into traditionally underrepresented populations to solve some of their labour woes while kickstarting a new era of profitability. When you consider the many advantages associated with strong and effective DEI programs, it is no longer an option but a necessity, one that could afford companies a competitive edge in the global economy.

This is especially important if manufacturers begin to reshore and increase investment in domestic footprints in the U.S. A joint study from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute states that the U.S. manufacturing industry could need upwards of 3.8 million workers to fill available jobs by 2033, demand that the market is not currently poised to sustain.

Removing barriers
For some, manufacturing has an image problem, which means there is a dire need to revamp recruitment strategies to better appeal to prospective employees. For instance, as a male-dominated industry, it could be intimidating to women and discourage their consideration of a career in the field. Companies that offer a positive workplace culture that celebrates diversity and empowers its workers to be their best have the best chance at reaching youth, women, BIPOC individuals, and people with disabilities.

Improving diversity and representation and creating an inclusive environment by addressing and removing structural barriers to entry and career development would demonstrate that there are equal opportunities for advancement. By improving representation at every level of an organization—particularly leadership—where only 25 percent of management positions are held by women—it would demonstrate a path to success and mentorship.

Another change that must be made to demonstrate that the sector is serious about equity is related to pay equity. While the disparity is less in STEM versus non-STEM careers, women and minorities face disparity when it comes to compensation, an issue that has persisted for decades.

A good way to appeal to women and improve a workplace’s culture for everyone is to improve work-life balance, provide flexible working hours to accommodate familial responsibilities, and consider providing on-site childcare to better accommodate those who require this support to more fully participate in the work world.

Tech-empowered change
Additional barriers include unequal access to higher education. Sometimes the path to training is as difficult as the path to employment, and this is especially true for people with disabilities, who have unequal access to training, but have a lot to contribute if opportunities (and workplaces) are accessible.

One of the ways to improve access to training for everyone is through greater adoption of technology and artificial intelligence (AI), not simply to replace workers through advanced automation and mechanization, but as a new and faster way to train workers more efficiently with data-informed and optimized processes and solutions. Analysis by McKinsey estimates that 30 percent of total labour hours worked could be automated over the next decade, but this will further increase demand for STEM careers to satisfy the rate of change in work activities necessitated by technology.

Many investments are being made in technologies and AI tools to capture the knowledge that is being lost through attrition and adapting it into training for AI systems for the sake of data-driven decision making. AI, specifically in manufacturing applications, should seek to capture actionable visibility into people, processes, assets, and inventory, provide greater connectivity with workers on the front lines, and be optimized for quality and performance. The easier technology and AI tools are to adopt, particularly where they are low-cost and no-code tools that can be democratized for the greatest number of workers, the more impactful they can be. Paired with diversity training, AI’s use can help promote a culture of success.

Not only will this improve the flow and function of operations in the interest of productivity and profitability, but it will also attract a tech-savvy generation of workers who will see that sectors like manufacturing are no longer the boring, dangerous, repetitive jobs they were in the past.

A strong ROI
It is proven that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is good for business, so the time is now for companies to take stock of their existing operations and approaches and consider how DEI could elevate profitability. Where a strong DEI culture exists, supported by adequate training and supports, creativity, innovation, and productivity know no bounds. When paired with a tech-empowered environment where data-driven insights lead decision making, many of the challenges facing the industry can be overcome.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is an agile, adaptable business model that is good for worker attraction, retention, empowerment, engagement, and collaboration and results in fewer errors, fewer conflicts, and less absenteeism. Quite simply, it can help to optimize efficiency, quality, output, and ultimately, profitability.

Where diversity lags, so too do opportunities for prospective employees and the companies who fail to hire them. Conventional thinking leads to conventional solutions and in a highly competitive global market, innovation and fresh insights are as valuable as the commodities being designed, manufactured, and sold.

The post Breaking down Barriers to Effect Positive Change<p class="company">The Case for Diversity in Stem</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

The result has been to draw global firms like Denso, Aisin, Svante, Magna Electronics, and numerous Tier 1 suppliers to the company by offering formidable value and innovation, made possible by a workforce with the capacity for harnessing and integrating fleets of autonomous robots complete with communication and traffic systems. “Our repeat business from large multi-national companies is a success story for us,” says Michael Balzan, Director of Sales.

But there is a lot more to RAMP Inc. than intelligent robotics.

Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, RAMP also offers renowned planar motor technology and automated design-build technology like material handling, automated assembly, and inspection equipment. Driven to be the best at what it does, this team dives deep into detail. The approach has yielded great success.

By gaining a comprehensive understanding of the selling points of customers’ products before developing a system that optimizes manufacturability, all while maintaining tight control over cost and quality, the company has become a trusted partner to some of the world’s largest fabricators of automobiles, consumables, and medical devices. RAMP also increasingly serves manufacturers in the energy industry.

The company’s name indeed travels fast. “Word-of-mouth between executives and engineers through supply chain synergies goes a long way,” says Balzan. Moreover, the company’s high level of personal engagement builds quality relationships, which clients value. “We continue to get business from our repeat customers. Because of that, we’re gaining new customers faster than we’ve seen for the last two years,” Balzan says.

Still a hands-on leader, ready to work shoulder to shoulder in the trenches with team members since the company’s early days, he has been part of every step toward prosperity.

As a result of these valuable bonds, RAMP Inc.’s legacy of hard work and disruptive innovation endures. Never the kind of corporation to stagnate, evolution remains a constant that brings regular change and improvement to its systems, facilities, and the capabilities of its skilled professionals.

RAMP is currently moving into a new facility on Bridge Street, Waterloo, where it will join another group that’s also part of Samuel Automation. This opens the door to significant expansion, giving the company access to double its present resources. This strategic move also means continued diversification as RAMP increases its presence across the United States.

Leading with innovation, the company’s next move will establish it in the satellite fabrication industry. With another Samuel autonomous robot and appliances facility in Tucson, Arizona, its expansion portfolio looks increasingly promising, and change remains a constant companion.

Having started as Samuel and Sons and later becoming Samuel Automation, the firm will soon rebrand itself as RAMP by Samuel Automation. While its name is changing, its enduring reputation for quality has seen RAMP Inc. go from strength to strength after joining Samuel Automation in 2022.

The acquisition was a well-considered and lucrative strategy for both divisions. “We’re going to grow within the Samuel organization to support their business as well as other manufacturers,” Balzan says.

As well as RAMP’s range of state-of-the-art autonomous mobile robots, its research and development team creates custom technology for clients who need sophisticated solutions to drive their fabrication outfits in new, improved ways. In keeping with this mandate and as part of its fresh rebranding strategy, RAMP by Samuel will soon also offer enabling technologies and expanded development. These technologies and services enhance user capabilities and system performance through more focused innovation.

Together with cutting-edge innovation, customers gain tremendous value from collaborating with this team. RAMP Inc. is equipped to take complex projects from the pre-automation and proof-of-concept phases to providing pilot production systems, followed by replication. There are also traceability applications and other game-changing software tools comprising extensive vision technology.

And the rewards are real. With a powerful marketing strategy in full swing, the company is seeing an upturn in business as manufacturing slowly returns to home soil, altering the ecosystem in which U.S.-based OEM outfits serve markets like electric vehicles and others. As the clean energy sector and others drives its growth, the company continues to make customer operations optimally profitable with the application of robust success-assurance processes. By minimizing the risk profiles of future product lines, customers gain more than peace of mind; their bottom lines also benefit tremendously. “We continue making the most effective products in the most cost-effective way,” says Balzan.

Committed to improving traceability, validation, analytics, and workflows, RAMP’s research and development team continuously refines its proprietary technologies. Two analytics products, Mavix and SPMX, feature outstanding tracking functions that powerfully enhance material workflow. While these could see rebranding over time, the new RAMP LogistiX software will soon hit the market as a new flagship software suite.

With tremendous growth targets ahead, RAMP’s investments transcend technology and equipment developments, however. Over the past year, the company has introduced considerable upgrades to its facility and improved its semiconductor and life sciences applications’ performance, while maintaining a state-of-the-art clean room. Its fabrication capabilities are also growing alongside an ever evolving website.

Paramount to RAMP Inc. achieving its desired outcomes over the next 36 months is doubling its staff to hit expansion targets. “Our customer base and the market make it look like this is achievable,” Balzan confirms. Known for being the most discerning of employers, RAMP’s procurement process is thorough, ensuring that the best candidates join the team, whose performance is a tough act to match.

Which brings us to another win for RAMP’s clients. The calibre of its employees provides customers with so many unexpected benefits that it often seems satisfaction is inevitable. And that is why high-stakes fabricators keep coming back for more. “Our customers struggle in finding subject matter experts to implement and even specify projects that they have,” shares Balzan. Until they find RAMP, that is. Access to top-notch experts committed to customer success is the main draw for many international giants in North America, and “we provide a resource team in whatever area of expertise is needed to help them achieve their goals,” he says.

The company actively builds its workforce by supporting local training facilities. While Balzan serves on advisory committees assessing real-time industry developments, RAMP Inc. also employs co-op students from the local college and the University of Waterloo. This mentorship opportunity gives young newcomers to the field hands-on, real-world experience, while the company secures a steady stream of future engineering experts signing up for its team.

With so many happy customers, RAMP Inc. has celebrated many successes. Its commitment to continuous improvement and its close ties with the energy industry recently led to the signing off of the pilot assembly for its largest production system to date. Custom fabricated for carbon capture, the project has allowed the company to help the planet in the process. “It’s exciting to be a part of this green project,” Balzan tells us.

Beyond improving capabilities and cultivating better ways to perform—while helping customers thrive through the product development and integration of outstanding automation systems—expansion remains the team’s ultimate objective. “We’re going to grow considerably larger than we currently are,” Balzan assures us. With new horizons beckoning, this Canadian powerhouse is fabricating the future of automation.

The post Effective, High-Value Automation<p class="company">RAMP by Samuel Automation</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Based in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland, the Conveyor & Automation Technologies team is known for developing outstanding technology along with its standard line of conveyor products. The company builds on the achievements of its 20-year legacy to provide customers with future-focused packaging automation. Mechanical Engineer and Vice President Gus Sarikas brought his expertise in conveyor systems to the company when he and his wife, President Lilly Sarikas, founded the firm in January 2004.

The couple established their reputation as visionaries early on. Aware of the changing tides of technology and fortunate to welcome a team of bright minds wanting to do something new, they set out to integrate automation into the company’s services from the beginning. For two decades, the company has enjoyed word-of-mouth business while building sound foundations and a living repository of generational knowledge. Confidently executing large, multi-million-dollar projects for satisfied customers, the company aims to give customers “merit, profitability, and safety,” Gus says.

By developing a deep understanding of the nature of its customers’ struggles, Conveyor & Automation Technologies firmly believes in first uncovering the reasons why customers are experiencing difficulties within their existing systems. “Then we look at how we can provide something that offers a return on investment,” he continues.

Known for staying on top of developments in the industry—from the latest technology to digital and software design—the company’s new, information-rich website is proving tremendously popular amongst engineers. “There are a fair number of videos on the website,” says Gus. “Once they see the actual projects in action, it gets the creative juices going.” Naturally, this continues to secure the company a great deal of new business.

In addition to technology, the speed and efficiency of this team are central to its success. Once customers reach out, Conveyor & Automation Technologies’ applications engineers assess issues, considering possible solutions before conceptualizing outcomes. They then establish the engineering hours required for product development and design. From there, the electrical engineers consider compatible control systems, followed by project managers and mechanical and electrical installers getting on board before commissioning starts.

Once a schedule is established, price estimation follows, and when the team receives a purchase order, detailed component development begins. The team, Gus explains, thinks about much more than just systems performance; the human element is a constant that runs through all of the company’s work. With its main mission being safety—while engineering profitability for customers into its designs—its next goal is helping to create more enjoyable working environments for all staff members.

Rather than rendering humans obsolete, Conveyor & Automation Technologies seeks to improve job satisfaction instead. The company aims to remove laborious, repetitive processes “without cutting the employee and [instead] give the employee something more meaningful,” Gus explains, highlighting that customers’ staff typically find tending to technological processes more stimulating than performing repetitive tasks for months and years on end. He points out that in the process, traditionally blue-collar positions are morphing into white-collar jobs by removing manual elements and creating human-machine collaboration.

Living up to its reputation for excellence, the company invests in what it considers best-in-class robotics. With heavy investments in FANUC’s recognizable yellow robots and cobots, the company favors the brand for its outstanding value and software, reliability, and service. One FANUC product that stands out is Zero Down Time (ZDT), which employs predictive technology to assess a robot’s servo motors’ health and allows owners to correct any issues and maintain or replace any parts before equipment failure occurs.

Sophisticated vision software coupled with premium Intralox conveyor components, belting, and innovative sortation systems add even more performance power to the company’s automation systems. While Intralox’s quality speaks for itself, Conveyor & Automation Technologies is equally pleased with the customer service, which offers real-time expert assistance. Intralox has “the best delivery. They have the best customer service,” says Gus, pleased that the supplier always has engineers available to answer questions immediately. Such fantastic service is a key value proposition—and it also explains why international distribution and shipping giants like UPS, Amazon, and others count on Intralox for the same top-quality performance.

By partnering with the best, Conveyor & Automation Technologies helps its customers optimize their investments in automation, floor space, uptime, and output as well as ensuring that their operations run smoothly. The team’s automation systems “allow end users to be [ahead] of their competitors,” Gus says.

Perhaps the greatest result of this approach has been the company’s many years of organic growth. By adding to its staff at a rate of two people annually, Conveyor & Automation Technologies now has a team of around 44 people serving customers across the country from a 47,000-square-foot facility with its own attractive office spaces. By creating an atmosphere of trust and respect, the company has let its people know that they are valued as much for their personal contributions as for their expertise. “What gives it life are the people,” Gus says. “That’s why we focus on the people. The facility’s great—don’t get me wrong—but the people are what make it.”

One of the team’s greatest successes yet arrived in the form of a quandary, when a large global manufacturer requested cutting-edge automation when it was unable to find sufficient numbers of employees. The answer was an initial $5,000,000 investment in a system complete with a fleet of automated mobile robots (AMRs), multiple automated machines, conveyors, and industrial robots that function around the clock and communicate as a system. The automation filled 38 manual positions that could not be consistently filled and allowed the manufacturer to run all its production lines at capacity. The team’s greatest challenge at the time was that the integration technology needed development, which was accomplished with flying colors—so much so that the client’s leadership gave the approval for $120 million of additional automation for their other manufacturing plants.

It is this level of innovation by the Conveyor & Automation Technologies team that most impresses the company’s leadership. No matter what customers bring to the table, the team delivers positive engineering outcomes that improve customer operations and work environments. And the good work doesn’t end there; the company also enjoys doing good for others through its involvement in school robotics projects and showing support for breast cancer initiatives.

It approaches the future in the same way it has always done. With artificial intelligence changing the workplace at large, Conveyor & Automation Technologies, Inc. is now considering ways in which the technology can improve and speed up its processes. That includes design, implementation, bills of materials, and the like. This will allow the company to improve its efficiency, output, and, of course, customer satisfaction. Following that, continuing to improve the company’s scalability is its next big priority.

While market demand and trends may change, consistency in quality, service, and innovation remains the mainstay of this dynamic and service-oriented company.

The post Built on Trust, Grown by Innovation<p class="company">Conveyor & Automation Technologies, Inc.</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Seeing a need in the market, Don Wickstrum founded Quest Industrial. Starting off small, Don and his wife Mary worked out of their family garage. Growing the Wisconsin-based robotic integrator business over the years, in 2019 Quest was acquired by processing and packaging giant ProMach, which has over 150,000 machines in the field worldwide.

Today, Quest proudly serves many industries, including cheese and dairy, protein and snack foods, frozen foods, beverages, consumer packaged goods, ready-to-eat, pet food, and produce. Providing customers with industrial automation equipment focused on robotics and vision-guidance technologies, Quest’s state-of-the-art solutions meet every packaging need.

Growing to meet client needs
Quest keeps expanding its capabilities internally and through strategic acquisitions. Just last year, ProMach acquired Mexico-based label, EFID, ticket, and pressure-sensitive label company Etiflex. This was followed months later by the acquisition of Italy-based MBF—a worldwide leader in bottle-filling and closing machines—and HMC Products, a leader in the manufacturing, refurbishing, and servicing of horizontal form fill & seal (HFFS) machines.

“ProMach has grown really fast and had success in a variety of industries,” says Marketing Specialist Joshua Sagona. “Ultimately, we looked at the industries in which we are consistently winning—the industries where we know that, if you put ProMach solutions up against any other solutions out there, you have no doubt that we are the best in the business.”

Continuing to identify industries poised for success, ProMach announced a dedicated Wine & Spirits Solutions Group along with a pet product packaging company. “ProMach has been a strategic partner for many of the world’s best-known spirits companies for years,” stated the company in a media release. “The creation of this solutions-based team will allow ProMach to gain even greater insight, offer a broader solutions portfolio, and continue to be a trusted advisor that helps optimize operations.”

The Wine & Spirits Solutions Group is supported by industry experts from over a dozen ProMach product brands globally, and “strategically positioned to solve the unique challenges of processing and packaging traditional bottled products, small format bottles, and ready to drink (RTD) products in both cans and single-serve bottles.”

With pet food products, ProMach conducted research to determine and identify ideal geographic regions. This year, ProMach proudly showcased its Pet Care Solutions team and worldwide pet care capabilities portfolio at the Petfood Forum in Kansas City, Missouri. Providing standalone systems and fully integrated lines, ProMach’s expertise with pet care packaging makes the company a one-stop solution provider.

Identifying successful areas where customers are extremely happy has led ProMach to create formal solutions groups catering to that success. This includes having existing sales managers in regions like Kansas City, which is well known for pet care and pet food manufacturing. “We’ve created some teams basically of various brands that are solely devoted to X industry,” comments Sagona. “Members from different brands’ supply to that industry, and put efforts to help promote solutions for that industry.”

mGrip™ technology
Early in its history, Quest/ProMach realized that not all robotic automation packaging systems were the same.

As an industry leader in difficult-to-handle foods like soft proteins and crackers, which are easily damaged, the company actively seeks the best products and solutions for its customers. Although ProMach started in secondary packaging, the company saw demand for mGrip technology and vision systems. Described by Soft Robotics as “a suite of configurable gripper and controller products that enables reliable, high-speed picking of traditionally hard to grasp items in the food processing industry,” this unique tech enables robots to pick up and pack fragile products safely and efficiently.

For ProMach, mGrip remains a key product offering. Different foods require different handling, and the company has options suitable for each product. “It’s a very precise and delicate way to handle items,” says Sagona. And to ensure precise picking, mGrip works with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

At ProMach/Quest, everything is designed in its facility, and the process starts with the company’s dedicated sales staff. Helping clients determine the best product and solution for their specific need, information then goes to the application team, which creates preliminary designs for customer specifications. From there, designs go to the mechanical and electrical engineering team. “Everything is done in-house, from design to installation, and even preventative maintenance in the future,” comments Sagona. “We do it all, from start to finish.”

As with any robotic automation machinery, turnaround time depends on the solution. This especially applies to soft gripping technology, because of the unpredictable nature of the product. While soft grip systems take the longest to manufacture, systems on the secondary side, such as case packing, take 20 to 50 weeks or fewer, depending on complexity.

And with standard palletizers, ProMach stands far above the competition in terms of lead time. “That’s where we’re most competitive, because we have pre-engineered standardized systems for palletizers that don’t really require much, if anything, other than just changing a few small things for customers,” says Sagona. “We’ve been able to get standard systems out the door in as little as four to six weeks.” Although the company doesn’t sell used systems, it will work on older systems and even those created by other robotic integrators.

Quest Intelligent Autonomous Vehicle
One of the company’s most recent innovations is the Quest Intelligent Autonomous Vehicle (IAV). The ideal hardworking partner, the IAV was designed and manufactured to move through facilities and be smart, flexible, and safe. “While most other Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) or Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solutions have a standard off-the-shelf vehicle, Quest ensures the IAV can handle the conditions within your facility,” says the company. “Safety is our number one priority, so Quest has taken careful consideration to incorporate safety sensors with multiple, industry-leading safety fields.”

At first, the company began selling the IAV as a standalone product, initially designed as an addition to palletizers. A palletizer would fill up a pallet with boxes, which would then be moved by vehicle to docks for shipping. Quest soon found out many companies already had robotic palletizers but were extremely interested in purchasing IAVs, which cut down on forklift traffic.

“Picture 15 forklifts running around your facility,” says Sagona. “Every single one is a safety risk, because they can run into people or each other. Our IAVs are intelligent enough to avoid collisions and know where fixed objects are, so they go around them. And if they see something that isn’t supposed to be there, including people, the IAV will either find a way around or stop until the thing moves out of its path.”

Quest IAVs are equipped with multiple scanners, which means they know where they are, can detect obstructions, and can determine which pallet or crate needs to be picked up. “It can be as simple or as complicated as you want,” adds Sagona. “It can be one IAV or 10 or more running around.”

The advanced IAV drew large crowds when it was showcased last year at PACK EXPO International and promoted as a standalone solution. This annual event is also ideal for promoting the company, and Sagona says, “We will definitely be there showing off some of our solutions. That’s the big event for us every year,” he shares.

Ultimately, he says, “There are not a ton of limits to what we can do, especially with secondary packaging. If it comes in a box or goes on a pallet, we can create automation solutions.”

The post Handling With Care<p class="company">Quest Industrial</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

What sets SEYMOUR apart is not just its groundbreaking technology but also its relentless drive to deliver smarter, faster, and more accurate solutions. These systems often work with components smaller than a millimeter, parts that are difficult or even impossible to manipulate by hand.

“We’re not just putting parts together,” says Robert Seymour, founder of the company. “We’re putting the right parts together and verifying they’re assembled correctly, every time.”

With a background in engineering and years of experience building automation machines, Seymour recognized a gap in the manufacturing process. While automation systems were becoming more advanced, they often lacked meaningful integration with the people operating them. Valuable engineering data was rarely shared with factory floor operators, creating inefficiencies.

“Not all the information the engineer used to make the machine was provided to the end user,” Seymour explains. “But it was really relevant to how the machine was operating. My goal was to bring all that up to the end user, so they know in advance that the machine’s not performing as well and why.”

This foundational idea is to empower the end user, and it continues to shape the company’s mission. SEYMOUR machines don’t just do the job; they understand the job, track the process, and report on performance in real time. This approach bridges the communication gap between engineering design and shop floor execution, leading to more informed decision-making and minimized downtime.

The company specializes in what Seymour calls “micron-level inspection and placement.” This means aligning and assembling components so tiny they can’t be seen with the naked eye. One of the team’s standout accomplishments was developing a system to align and insert ultra-fine wires into hollow medical needles, a task so precise that it demanded innovation in both hardware and software. “We developed proprietary technology in 3D vision systems to align two 6-axis robots with these wires and needles,” Seymour recalls. “We did amazingly well on that, and we got a lot of feedback from the industry.”

This success underscored the company’s expertise in creating zero-failure solutions in high-stakes environments, from medical devices to defense components. These precision tools require not only careful assembly, but also thorough inspection and flawless verification. In order to inspect and align parts at the micron level, SEYMOUR’s systems offer 10 times the resolution of the components they handle. This ensures every movement, every placement, and every decision made by the automation system is rooted in accuracy. When the tolerance for error is less than the width of a human hair, the only way forward is absolute precision.

SEYMOUR’s ability to innovate so rapidly stems from its vertically integrated structure—every stage of design, development, and production happens in-house. This includes the use of 3D printers for both metal and plastic, advanced vision systems, and proprietary software. “We control the whole project from start to finish,” Seymour explains. “From design all the way through proof of concept into the project itself. We can control each iteration of the part and the programming.”

This setup enables the team to go from design to prototype in a matter of hours and deliver custom systems in as little as five months. By handling everything internally, the company avoids the delays typically caused by outsourcing and ensures a tighter quality control loop.

Rapid prototyping, too, gives SEYMOUR a critical edge. In an industry where time often equates to money, SEYMOUR can deliver complex solutions in record time. If a part needs refining or a design needs adjusting, it can be redesigned, printed, and tested within the same day.

Moreover, vertical integration enhances customer service. Because all aspects of development are under one roof, SEYMOUR can offer more personalized, flexible solutions tailored to the specific needs of each client, a level of responsiveness that builds strong, lasting relationships and creates opportunities for continuous improvement.

Indeed, SEYMOUR’s machines are not just designed to build products; they are built to understand the process. Each system verifies that assemblies are correctly completed and offers full traceability and diagnostics. The company’s systems provide real-time performance data, trend analytics, and predictive diagnostics. In industries like medical and aerospace, where a single error can be catastrophic, this kind of accountability is invaluable, and this emphasis on visibility and insight leads to smarter production lines where operators can identify and resolve inefficiencies before they escalate into costly problems. SEYMOUR’s machines become a central source of truth for quality and performance, and clients gain more than a machine—they gain a living database of performance metrics and process knowledge. This transparency allows operators and engineers alike to optimize their systems over time.

What’s more, SEYMOUR’s integration of AI-driven analytics allows clients to not only react to issues but to proactively prevent them. Over time, the machine learns from previous runs, making each production cycle smarter than the last.

Despite the complex technical work they do, SEYMOUR fosters a laidback but highly effective internal culture. Employees are expected to take ownership, ask questions, and drive solutions. “We’re not here to babysit,” Seymour says. “Everybody’s more than capable of performing at and above expectations.” Instead of rigid supervision, the company values transparency and collaboration. Daily or weekly check-ins keep the team aligned and allow everyone to contribute ideas and problem-solve collectively.

This culture not only encourages innovation but ensures that employees are invested in the outcomes of their work. It creates an environment where people feel confident to challenge ideas, propose alternatives, and continually push the boundaries of what’s possible. “We rely on people to push forth and resolve things, to ask the hard questions and go after the results,” Seymour adds. “That’s what makes our team special.”

This mindset has created a collaborative team environment where engineers, developers, and technicians feel empowered to experiment, iterate, and learn from failure, qualities that drive continuous improvement.

And Robert Seymour’s vision extends beyond his own company. He is passionate about modernizing the Southeast’s manufacturing sector and helping regional companies understand what is technologically possible, and through community outreach, educational partnerships, and collaborative R&D, aims to uplift not only clients but the entire region’s capacity for innovation. The company’s presence signals a shift in how southeastern manufacturers view automation—from a luxury to a necessity. “A lot of times, companies don’t even know the technology exists,” he says. “They’ve been doing it manually because they don’t think automation can help them.”

Thus, when the team visits a new client, it’s not about selling a product; it’s about exploring potential. Automation, Seymour insists, is not a replacement for people but a tool to elevate them. “People are the best problem solvers out there,” he says. “But for repetitive, minute tasks, automation is more consistent. It lets humans focus on solving problems that really matter.”

By automating repetitive or high-precision steps, SEYMOUR helps clients improve safety, reduce error rates, and achieve new levels of productivity all while creating more meaningful work for their own teams.

Now, with demand rising and technology evolving, SEYMOUR is preparing to scale. But its growth will be thoughtful and strategic, preserving the hands-on, iterative process that defines the company. Investments in research and development are positioning the company to stay ahead of customer needs, and as clients continue to seek out smarter, smaller, more adaptable systems, SEYMOUR is ready to deliver. “We’ve brought everything internal—our development area, our testing, our R&D center,” Seymour says. “It’s really starting to pay dividends.”

The company is also exploring ways to bring its solutions to a broader market without compromising the precision and customization that defines its work. Expansion will likely include strategic partnerships and potential new facilities in high-tech manufacturing hubs. In addition, SEYMOUR is considering ways to standardize some of its core modules, enabling quicker deployments without sacrificing its bespoke capabilities. This hybrid model—custom where needed, modular where possible—could unlock entirely new market segments.

By continuing to refine its process and capabilities, SEYMOUR Advanced Technologies is positioning itself as a leader in the future of precision manufacturing. In a world that’s getting smaller and more complex, this team’s combination of high-tech systems and human-centric values offers a compelling roadmap for what automation can truly achieve. “There’s still a consistency in chaos,” Robert Seymour reflects. “And problems are all solvable if you have the right tools.”

In a time when many manufacturers are looking for ways to do more with less, SEYMOUR provides a clear path forward, one where precision, insight, and collaboration aren’t just buzzwords, but the foundation for a new era of smart manufacturing.

The post Precision Without Compromise<p class="company">SEYMOUR Advanced Technologies</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Tim Tate’s journey in the manufacturing and automation industry is a testament to hard work, hands-on experience, and leadership growth. Starting his career straight out of high school in the mid-1990s as a shipping and receiving helper, Tate steadily rose through the ranks by mastering the trade from the ground up. He completed an apprenticeship and became a journeyman machine builder, gaining a deep understanding of mechanical systems, precision tooling, and automation integration.

His transition from the shop floor to leadership roles reflects both technical expertise and strategic vision. After serving as a Project Manager, where he led complex automation builds and cross-functional teams, he was promoted to Director of Manufacturing, overseeing large-scale production operations and continuous improvement initiatives. As Managing Director, Tate helped shape long-term business strategies, drive innovation, and expand organizational capabilities.

In January 2024, after nearly three decades of hands-on and executive experience, Tate was appointed President of Edgewater Automation, bringing his full-circle knowledge of the industry to lead the company into its next phase of growth.

Founded in 2001, Edgewater Automation (an ISO 9001:2015–certified designer and builder) has grown to become a global automation systems expert. Edgewater’s expertise encompasses system design and building, including concept creation, engineering, fabrication, integration, installation, and support. Working with customers in electronics, life sciences, automotive, transportation, general manufacturing, and other sectors, Edgewater’s automation solutions help ensure success for customers.

Since Edgewater’s founding, its forward-thinking, strategic decisions have resulted in almost 25 years of growth. Starting with a handful of employees, Edgewater has grown to about 250 people in five locations across North America. This has meant seeking out the best and brightest talent and encouraging professional development while maintaining work-life balance. These factors have made Edgewater Automation an employer of choice.

“Since stepping into the role of President, I’ve focused on reinforcing our foundation while strategically investing in future growth,” says Tate. “We’ve made targeted investments in advanced manufacturing technologies, enhancing our project management systems, and expanding our engineering talent pool to better meet the demands of an evolving automation landscape,” he tells us.

“We’ve modernized our internal processes, from improving cross-functional collaboration tools to increasing support for employee development and training. These efforts are all aimed at improving agility, quality, and our ability to deliver exceptional value to customers.”

Through its multiple locations across Michigan and South Carolina, Edgewater provides clients with a range of factory automation systems. Highly experienced in many markets—including automotive and transportation, logistics, life sciences, electronics, and general manufacturing—Edgewater’s core competencies encompass assembly, testing, inspection, data acquisition, and material handling. From fabrication and simulation to robotic integration, mechanical and electrical design, and more, Edgewater’s team handles all customer needs.

In addition to automation, Edgewater offers robust in-house manufacturing and fabrication capabilities. This allows the company to maintain full control over quality, timing, and customization throughout the entire build process, vertical integration which strengthens Edgewater’s ability to quickly prototype, iterate, and deliver turnkey systems to meet tight deadlines and exacting standards. And by combining cutting-edge robotics, vision systems, and advanced controls, Edgewater’s team ensures its solutions are both innovative and scalable. As Tate says, “Our strength lies in our ability to integrate these technologies into seamless automation systems that drive efficiency and improve product quality for our customers.”

Along with diverse other capabilities, Edgewater Automatic is an A3 Certified Robot Integrator and a FANUC Authorized System Integrator (Level 5)—one of the world’s largest and most prominent robotic companies. With its origins in the mid-1950s, FANUC remains a leader in productivity-enhancing factory automation solutions.

Edgewater also remains a long-time member of the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), a respected trade association with roots going back almost 125 years.

To meet the needs of its ever-expanding customer base, Edgewater Automation continues to grow. Receiving praise from clients and the broader industry, Edgewater was named one of the “Top 50 Companies to Watch” by the State of Michigan just a few years after it was founded. To accommodate its growth, the company added a third automation design, manufacturing, and integration facility (in Buchanan, Michigan) five years ago. Around the same time, Edgewater was named one of the “20 Best Places to Work in Southwest Michigan” by Moody on the Market.

Currently operating out of five facilities in Michigan and South Carolina, every Edgewater site is strategically positioned to serve key markets and provide localized support to its customers. “We’ve recently expanded one of our St. Joseph, Michigan facilities with an additional 120,000-plus square feet of build space—a major investment that reflects our commitment to growth, innovation, and customer success,” says Tate. The new space allows the company to streamline its build process, scale up production, and take on even more complex, high-volume projects.

“It’s not just about growing bigger; it’s about building smarter, faster, and more efficiently to meet the evolving needs of our customers. As we look to the future, our goal is to grow responsibly while maintaining the high level of customization and customer service that sets Edgewater apart,” Tate says.

He says that at present, Edgewater is excited by growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market. “We’ve partnered with several major OEMs and tier-one suppliers to develop automation solutions for EV battery assembly, power electronics, and drivetrain components.”

The company is also seeing increasing demand in the life sciences sector, where precision and traceability are critical. “Our experience in integrating sophisticated inspection and test systems has been instrumental in meeting the stringent quality standards in that space,” he adds. “These sectors—EV and life sciences—represent significant growth opportunities for us moving forward.”

From the early days to the present, Edgewater Automation has received praise from clients and recognition for its work, and these awards serve as a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the Edgewater team, says Tate.

Most recently, the company was recognized by FANUC America as a finalist in their Innovative System of the Year for 2025. “We were also proud to win the 2024 New Product Award at The ASSEMBLY Show. This was for innovation in the ‘Assembly Machines & Systems’ category with our high-speed assembly system with vision-guided SCARA robots,” says Tate. “This award was especially meaningful, as it was selected by the editors of ASSEMBLY Magazine and voted on by show attendees—industry professionals who understand the impact of leading-edge automation solutions,” he shares.

“These awards are a testament to our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction, and they motivate us to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in automation.”

The post Building Bigger, Better Industries with Bright Ideas<p class="company">Edgewater Automation</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

This is especially timely as it seems volatile organic compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, emitted from paint, glue, and other materials, are everywhere, especially in motor vehicles and buildings. By building on its solid history of innovation, CCT Tapes and ATP adhesive systems will change this.

New facility, new growth
This new focus follows a 2021 acquisition by Swiss firm ATP, a company with a proud history. Recognized as one of Switzerland’s best-managed companies, with leaders who have been with the company for over two decades, ATP is respected globally for its outstanding adhesives. Established in 1988 and with production based on the solvent-free adhesive formulations that made it so popular, the company now has more than 500 employees.

ATP will open a new fabrication facility on American soil for this visionary line in the second quarter of next year, accompanied by sizable capital investments that will greatly grow the company’s capabilities and reach.

Stimulating growth will also mean appointing more than 100 new staff members at this state-of-the-art facility, and company leadership is confident in the timing of the investment. “America today is like Europe was 20 years ago with respect to solvent-free adhesive tape technology,” says Daniel Heini, CEO of ATP. The goal, then, is active expansion throughout North America.

While ATP focuses solely on solvent-free acrylic technologies, CCT Tapes continues to offer solvent-based, acrylic, and rubber tapes in addition to its recently introduced, game-changing new products. With its most popular products available in a selection of around 300 double-sided and transfer tape options, the company is also well known for custom formulations based on in-depth, in-house research and development.

Innovation and ecology meet
For both companies, excellence has always been the name of the game, with an eye toward innovation and evolution. “ATP always went the ecological way to create tapes without solvents,” says Paul Schwitter, COO of ATP. At the time, the company’s adhesives were mainly used for labels on consumables, but as the product improved, this changed. Today, ATP is a force to be reckoned with.

“Together with raw material suppliers like acrylic dispersion (resin) suppliers and producers, we created much higher technological properties to reach the performance that’s needed against solvent-based acrylic tapes,” Paul explains.

Combining these technologies with sophisticated customization and cutting-edge equipment at its Swiss research and development facilities, ATP products have been continuously evolving ever since with the unshakeable goal of outperforming solvent-based adhesives.

Paul is clear about the improved ecological profile of water-based acrylic adhesives: “The product carbon footprint (PCF) of water-based acrylics is half the carbon footprint of solvent-based acrylics,” he says.

30 years at the top
There is no question of the company’s formidable capabilities. “We’ve been the market and technology leader for 30 years in these water-based acrylic tape products for industrial applications,” Daniel says, emphasizing these advances in product formulation and performance as the company’s main competitive advantage (apart from maintaining an accessible price point) over the years. Beyond these essential aspects, understanding the exact requirements of customers and their specifications is at the forefront of every relationship that ATP establishes with a customer before custom-developing each formulation and tape construction.

Back in the United States, and thanks to the merger, CCT Tapes will align itself with the standards, formulations, and technologies that its parent company offers. “We have different capabilities at our location in Philadelphia; now part of ATP, we have a wider range of solutions for our customers, and have been able to further our focus on customized solutions for them,” says Commercial Business Lead Kyle Dempsey.

As a result, CCT has its sights set on further developing its offerings for the construction market as well as taking a fresh look at its formulations for the automotive industry. As CCT now has access to unique solvent-free formulations, local motor vehicle fabricators will benefit from lower levels of VOCs being released from their products, reducing the overall impact of materials used in motor vehicles while achieving outstanding product performance.

The out-performers are here
Thanks to groundbreaking technology, these modern adhesives often outperform older glues, providing customers with confidence that their tapes will perform as expected—and perhaps even better.

Instead, these tapes are versatile and strong enough to be used in an array of applications, typically replacing liquid adhesives and other types of fasteners, and it naturally follows that the company’s client base is as diverse as its product range. CCT Tapes and ATP adhesive systems serves markets including automotive, transportation, building and construction, medical, optical, electronics, white goods, abrasives, graphics, and general industrial applications.

With a talented team of 60 at its current facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it’s not uncommon to find staff members who have been with the company for a decade or longer. This means retaining precious knowledge and an equally important understanding of local markets and unique quality requirements. The company’s people understand the value and importance of the top-performing tapes they’re responsible for.

Powered by people
One of the real gains of this approach is that the ATP Group team has a well-rounded, global appreciation of its overall mission and operational standards across all processes. “Our staff know what they do. They know our tape might potentially end up on a loved one’s body to save their life,” says Kyle, who has been with the firm for nearly two decades. For him, the CCT advantage is the sincere sense of ownership that employees hold at the forefront of their commitment to excellence as they sustain the high standards that keep end users safe.

Due to the high stakes involved in its product performance, cross-training staff has become a valuable aspect of ensuring that employees in the U.S. and in Europe remain current and fully equipped to maintain standards. ATP and CCT Tapes both share a deep belief in continuous training, and Kyle is open about the tremendous value this has brought the company.

“We found that developing people within our organization delivers the best outcome for them as well as our customers,” he says, noting how difficult it can be to find professionals with the depth of knowledge embodied by CCT’s team. “There’s an art behind what we do.”

The future of fabrication
The marriage of robust local market knowledge with Swiss innovation promises many benefits for those North American fabricators who are yet to discover the big pluses of switching to these modern adhesive tapes. From this perspective, ATP has brought the future to American fabrication. And these two industry leaders are confident in the merits of their contributions to the American manufacturing landscape.

“As we see it, the future of creating more sustainable products is in solvent-free acrylics,” Kyle says, highlighting CCT Tapes’ mission to reduce VOCs—and thus ecological impact—in its overall product offering.

Paul strongly shares this sentiment. “We are happy to serve American customers and be ahead in environmental, social, and governance requirements over the next 20 years,” he says. With a new facility soon to open its doors in Lexington County, South Carolina, this powerful team of innovators will be sticking around for good.

The post At Last, High-Performance, Solvent-Free Adhesives<p class="company">CCT Tapes</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

Providing services to the automotive, window and door, lighting, transportation, renewable energy, and aluminum extrusion industries, this family-run business remains committed to creating the best equipment available, expanding the North American manufacturing ecosystem, and assisting clients and staff in achieving their goals.

“My dad Joseph started the company because he had run window and door manufacturing plants and was frustrated by the lack of automation,” explains CEO Anthony Pigliacampo. “In the ’80s it was very difficult to get skilled workers, and the process was very manual, so you not only needed a lot of people, you needed a lot of skilled people. As you grew, you were always running into that bottleneck.”

Joseph saw an opportunity to use automated machinery to increase output and improve quality and safety. Subsequently, he started building machines and selling them to other people.

“What we do is incredibly complicated and very risky,” says Pigliacampo of JMC today. “You generally sell an idea for a type of machine and a promise for what it can do when it’s nothing more than an idea. You sign a contract, and you have to deliver a real version of said idea.”

While being a family-owned business with no outside investors means having nothing to fall back on and creates pressure to be successful, it also affords the freedom to pursue ideas the company thinks are worthy. “Given that my dad started the company and believed in the benefits of automation, JMC was able to take a view and try things that other companies were unwilling to try, and that was really what my father’s vision was,” says Pigliacampo.

The last 38 years of JMC’s history are testament to the growth that has come from trying new, unproven ideas that Joseph believed in. “If we believe it’s a good idea and we think it will help our customers, we’re able to make those bets and take those chances.”

But taking chances through innovation and doing things to make customers’ businesses radically better also means betting on your team’s ability to deliver results. “Every month, if you walk into our company, there’s some machine on the floor that is a bet,” Pigliacampo says. “It’s a bet that this idea will make production faster, higher quality, and/or safer,” he says. “It’s really nice that we can make those, and I think it’s one of the reasons we’ve been successful for so long.”

Such an approach also creates an environment where the bottom line is measured by more than just a spreadsheet: being family-owned means treating employees like family as well. “The opportunities we’ve created for our team members are quite significant. We treat everybody like family, which is a bit different than a lot of other companies.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” says Vice President of Sales Thomas Vajdic. “The family atmosphere carries through everybody. Our core values speak to it, and every interaction is very family-based. A lot of our customers are also family-based companies, and it works well to interact with those companies on a family level. That’s what creates our partnerships, which is what we pride ourselves on.”

As the United States’ level of manufacturing has been “hollowed out” over the past few decades, JMC’s commitment to dealing with family-owned businesses is especially vital, particularly in bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.

“One of the reasons we sell to a lot of other family-owned businesses is manufacturing tends to be, in my experience, a lot more family-owned manufacturing businesses rather than institutionally owned or private equity,” says Pigliacampo.

In manufacturing in general, he adds, taking risks is key, and family-owned enterprises understand the business deeply. “What might look risky to an outside board that’s only looking at financial statements and Excel every month is not that risky when you’re in the business and you’re living and breathing what’s going on there every day.”

For him, even the family-owned billion-dollar companies he’s interacted with understand the “nuts and bolts” of what the company makes and how they make it at a much different level than the board of any mid-sized, publicly traded manufacturing company. “That’s one thing we’re really excited about, because we’ve been domestically focused for 38 years, and I think there’s a massive opportunity to do more manufacturing within the United States, which creates fantastic jobs,” he says.

In order to bring about such a shift, more automation and automated tools are needed as both the workforce and what people want to do in manufacturing environments are changing. During the last 20 years of manufacturing, the demographic of most manufacturing companies has aged significantly, with many people leaving the workforce and taking with them technical depth, knowledge, and understanding of how to do things.

“Younger workers coming into the workforce don’t necessarily have that background,” he says. “While it’s not that they can’t learn, it creates an incredible opportunity to say, ‘how do we do this better?’ The real opportunity for automation is changing what people think of manufacturing jobs.”

No longer inflicting physical wear and tear on the body, manufacturing at JMC is essentially a variety of engineering-centric jobs. From technicians who build the machines to those who design them to those who install them, these are incredibly complex technical jobs where people are maintaining the systems that perform the production.

“If you can make these systems, then have skilled people monitoring, you create these amazing jobs for people working within manufacturing. This is not only going to allow growth within the industries we’ve served to date but will also allow us to expand into other new markets.”

JMC prides itself on continually providing quality services and innovation, selling machinery that automates the production of end components—starting out with raw, large sticks of material, turning those into something else, then cutting, fabricating, assembling them, and turning them into something else again. The value adding going on throughout the machinery JMC sells has changed over time and is exciting from an innovation standpoint, with “the brains” of the machines becoming much smarter, allowing JMC to make “the bones” do more complicated things and be more flexible.

“Whereas things we used to do were incredibly dedicated to one specific thing, now we’re creating systems and solutions that might be able to do 10 things within the same footprint as what used to be able to do one,” Pigliacampo explains. “Those sorts of innovations really change the return on investment for automation.”

Indeed, JMC prides itself on being “very engineering-centric from the top down,” adds Vajdic. “That’s unique to us; we’re posed with a problem, and we come up with a solution from start to finish. From our technical sales to engineering, on-site, programming, and controls, we pride ourselves on the service we provide as an engineering team, that we engineer a solution tailored to a customer’s need. That allows us to innovate.”

One of the biggest challenges JMC has faced recently is how customers’ perceptions of automation “are grounded in the rearview mirror and not out the windshield.” Customers often think about challenges they had with automation in the ’80s and ’90s, spending money that resulted in large, complicated systems that were difficult to maintain and induced a lot of downtime. Helping customers understand that things are much better now than they used to be is key.

“Manufacturing isn’t something that changes very rapidly,” says Pigliacampo. “It took 25 years to offshore many processes that, if you went and saw them, aren’t actually that complex. Customers’ experiences from 10 or 15 years ago are still in some ways fresh in their minds, because that piece of equipment has a 30-year life and it’s still sitting on their floor somewhere.” To that end, it can be a challenge to convince customers that JMC has created some “amazing new technologies” that can transform how to do business by taking a chance and trusting the process.

From a business perspective, while the company is already fairly vertically integrated with a large machine shop, increased vertical integration remains a goal. JMC makes all its own electrical panels and some components, but if it wants to make larger, more complicated, automated tools, the more of the process it controls, the easier it is to roll out innovation in a cost-effective manner.

From the control side of things, JMC has revamped its control system for the future so it can expand on these products, changing the way its control system works to allow all in-house programming. “This allows us to be more flexible and more competitive in putting full lines together for automation,” says Vajdic. “We rolled it out and within a year were building 30-some access machines with the new control system. From that avenue, we’re also starting more flexible machinery for multiple uses.”

Customers who have multiple window systems or multiple systems in general are able to get more throughput through multi-track processing, he adds, through a flexible machine utilizing CNC and flexible tooling. “We compete against a lot of one-track, single-piece type CNC machinery,” says Vajdic. “We’ve identified a need for multi-track processing—and being able to do that in a fashion where the operator has less interaction with the machine; they load a stick of material and it flows through the machine and produces the product—in the aluminum world, with a new machine that we’ve developed which will be hitting soon.”

The JMC team spends a lot of time thinking about the themes its customers have talked about and highlights and how to solve those specific problems, creating a very user-centered design with everything it does.

The company also boasts solely United States-based manufacturing, with its machines designed, built, and tested in the U.S. “We pride ourselves on that, on being able to do everything here,” says Pigliacampo. “I think 85 percent of our parts are machined in-house.”

As JMC grows, it will continue to vertically integrate further, with plans for adding welding and powder coating abilities to create even greater self-sufficiency. And along with treating customers with care and respect, JMC is also dedicated to maintaining its positive impact on the community.

“It’s something we care a lot about—that’s a legacy our company has,” says Pigliacampo. “It’s actually bigger than our family, and because of that, we make decisions that are incredibly long-term,” he says. “We’re thinking 10, 20, 30 years from now, because our goal is to have a company that endures multiple generations.”

The post Risk and Reward – Taking Chances Through Innovation<p class="company">Joseph Machine Company</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.

On May 1, the company introduced three new lines of trailers: “Tag-alongs, fixed neck low boys, and logging trailers,” shares Vice President Joseph Scott.

As their name implies, logging trailers are used to transport logs. Dorsey Trailer introduced the first logging trailer in the United States decades ago but stopped building them at a certain point, adds Scott. So, the return to making logging trailers represents a new beginning for the company.

Low boy trailers ride close to the road and feature a drop deck—that is, two sections of different heights. In a fixed neck low boy, the neck is permanently attached to the deck of the trailer while in a detached low boy, the neck can be detached and then lowered to set up a ramp for loading/unloading. Dorsey sells both varieties of low boys, which are often used to handle construction freight.

Tag-along trailers are affixed to the rear end of a vehicle to haul additional equipment and are commonly used by construction and municipal work crews. Dorsey also makes chip vans (lightweight but sturdy enclosed trailers often used to move wooden chips in forestry operations), combo trailers, aluminum trailers, and flatbed trailers (trailers with an open deck but no roof or walls).

Over-the-road operators doing long-distance hauls continue to make up the bulk of Dorsey Trailer’s clientele, and companies within the oil & gas, construction, road & bridge work, municipal, and military sectors are also partial to the company’s offerings.

Dorsey maintains two separate sites in Elba—a main production plant comprising roughly 700,000 square feet and a second facility, located nearby and measuring 150,000 square feet, that manufactures aluminum trailers. The company has roughly 850,000 square feet of production space in total, 10,000 of which were recently added to accommodate the new trailer lines. All told, Dorsey produces approximately 2,800 to 3,200 trailers a year which are sold through a dealer network extending across the United States and into Canada.

The company has achieved an impressive level of success given its rather humble origins. Dorsey Trailer was launched in 1911 by Pete and Henry Dorsey, who fixed power saws, trucks, and other gear for timber companies inside a converted livery stable. From this low-key start, the firm expanded and within 20 years was designing and manufacturing its own commercial freight trailers. Business continued apace and the company grew.

Dorsey provided trailers for the U.S. military in World War II (and continues to supply trailers for the Department of Defense today). During the ensuing Cold War, Dorsey supplied transporters for rockets. Over the decades, the company has attracted a few celebrity clients including the country band Alabama (which has used Dorsey trailers) and NASCAR drivers (who utilize Dorsey hauler vans). An enclosed 45-foot Dorsey trailer featured prominently in the 1980s hit TV series MIFJun2025/#page/ (in which actor David Hasselhoff drove a customized Pontiac Firebird Trans Am around the country to fight criminals).

The company today is owned by Alabama-based investment firm Propst Companies. Looking back, Scott says focusing on relationships has been key to Dorsey’s longevity. “We build relationships with our dealers. We really hit the road a lot, spend a lot of time with those guys. We want the everyday truck driver to want our trailers. In the end, it’s a family-oriented business we’re in; we treat our employees like family. I know everybody says that, but we do. And that extends to the trucker,” he explains.

It also helps that Dorsey offers low-priced, high-quality trailers, has a reputation for excellent customer service, and excels at doing more with less. At the time of our previous profile, the company employed over 350 people, and that number has decreased to around 257, even as production has risen. “We’ve downsized, but we’re more efficient today than we were before. We’re building more trailers today then back then,” says Scott.

Downsizing has been accompanied by greater outsourcing. The latter strategy was initially suggested to Dorsey by lean manufacturing consultants who advised the company a few years ago. Today, subcontractors currently handle about 30 to 40 percent of Dorsey’s workload. By outsourcing peripheral duties, Dorsey has been able to concentrate on core operations and boost production. “We really want to get to a point where we’re just putting the pieces together… [Using outside vendors] is faster and they can build it cheaper than we can in-house,” says Scott.

The team aims to raise production levels even higher through the use of industrial robots. “Our ownership is willing to invest a lot of money for long-term solutions,” notes Scott. That said, having a loyal, reliable workforce remains central to everything Dorsey does. Extensive education—or even experience—isn’t necessary to get a job at Dorsey.

“We actually hire people that do not know how to weld, and we train them. They go through a training course of six to eight weeks. We want long-term employees. We want somebody that wants to build a career at Dorsey,” states Scott.

What’s important is having a good attitude, strong work ethic, and team spirit, he adds. Taking pride in your work is also imperative, given that Dorsey places a strong emphasis on quality control. The company recently doubled the size of its QC team to four staff members, whose sole function is to monitor Dorsey trailers for quality issues. In a similar fashion, Dorsey employs an on-site safety director who runs a team of two people who walk the plant floor, keeping an eye out for safety concerns or OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) violations.

The company also maintains close ties with several trade groups including the National Trailer Dealers Association, the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association, the Alabama Trucking Association, and the Alabama Forestry Association.

In addition to building trailers and servicing clients, Dorsey actively supports its community and local charitable initiatives. Donations have been made to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Coffee County, for example, and annual fundraisers are held for breast cancer awareness and the Wounded Warrior Project (which provides assistance to injured or ill veterans). As part of its philanthropic mission, Dorsey staff sometimes cook meals which are sold to employees, with proceeds going to charity. The team also strongly supports the Boys & Girls Club and area food banks, and distributes holiday turkeys and hams to the needy.

In our last article, high interest rates and the difficulty of securing skilled workers (an industry-wide problem) were cited as Dorsey Trailer’s main challenges. The company is hoping to offset some of the worst impacts of the latter issue by utilizing robotic systems. On the economic front, tariffs imposed by Washington have become a far more pressing concern than interest rates. While Dorsey doesn’t use offshore suppliers to make parts or components, some of its vendors do, causing headaches all around. China is also a main source for aluminum imports, resulting in additional price pain.

“The tariffs are definitely challenging right now… This is something [where] we are all hands on deck,” states Scott.

For all this, Dorsey staff have big plans for the future. These plans do not involve new locations (“We would love to just continue to build here in Elba,” says Scott) but do include a surge in production. Within half a decade, Scott would like to see Dorsey’s market share grow and annual output reach approximately 5,000 trailers.

Despite new technology and greater outsourcing, this optimistic forecast is largely a reflection of the Dorsey Trailer workforce, he stresses. “The company is not about [me] or our president or our owners. We have 250 hardworking men and women that really push our product. They’re the best sales team we have. They deserve every bit of recognition they can get,” says Joseph Scott.

The post This Venerable Alabama Trailer Manufacturer Has New Products and Big Goals<p class="company">Dorsey Trailer</p> appeared first on Manufacturing In Focus.